The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-23
COLORED MAS0NS' CRIMES
MURpERoUs REVENGE FOR IN
JURIEs TO BROTHER CRAFTSMEN.
Remarkable State of Affairs in Missis.
sippi-The Reign Of Terror In the
Black Belt Drawing to a Close
Peculiar Experiences.

Grenada miss Special 10 inc new YORK herald.
Greenwood the county seat of Lehore
county, Miss. il situated upon the Yaz0o,
two miles below the confluence Of the
Yallabusha and Tallahatchee rivers
The country around Greenwood forms
portion OF what is known as the BLACK
Bclt''-thc negroes being in the majority
Of five TO one-and is part Of the famous
Yazoo deha, the richest and most pro-
ductive cotton country upon the globe.
In this immense section within the last
two weeks evidence has been obtained
which threw the whole county into the
greatest excitement and astonishment, and
has unearthed crimes Of great cnormity.
Dick Murrell, negro, came to Leflore
county several years ago from the neigh
borhood Of Selma, Ala, accompanied by
six or seven brothers and sisters. They
were all bright mulattoes aud fearless dare
devils, but Dick seemed TO be by far the
best and most lawabiding of the lot.
They were all, except Dick, implicated
in trouble in Lellore county forty years
ago, when one Of them was killed and tho
Others required 30 leave the country.
A year after that Matthew Beck, one OF
the most law-abding citizens of the county,
and who was involved in the original
trouble with the Murrclls, was assassi-
mated. Circumstantial evidence pointed
10 the Murrclls N the nssassins, and they
were arrested in Alabama, but were dis
charged upon habcas corpus before the
people Of lcilorc county had the opportu-
nifty Of presenting their evidence. They
have not been heard Of since, but Dick
Murrcll was not connected or involved in
any Of this trouble, and has always been
regarded u good citizen.
rIRsr LODGE ORGANIZED.
In 1880 there came to Lcilore county, ns
n teacher in the public school, a negro
named Henderson, who after teaching a
while was appointed United States census
taker While acting in that capacity he
was instrumental in organizing in Green
wood the lirst lodge Of colored Masons in
the county. Soon ailcrward Henderson
was indicted by the grand jury for forgery,
lac having drawn n draft, with all the
names forged, upon which he received
money from Mr.. 1inny.
While the grand jury were investigating
this forgery ease one nj the newly made
Masons, negro and member Of the grand
jury, offered 10 pay Tinny the amount
Henderson had obtained from him in order
90 stop further proceedings.
ThGoricr anguishcd until ai,cr ihe over
flow in the delta in 1885, whom one rhomns
W. Stringcr, colord, who oiliciatcd at the in.
stituiion oi the Greenwood lodge in 1850,
again made his appearance and organized
several lodges one ut Surah mount, a
plantation On the 1allnbatchcc river, about
live miles from Greenwood, and one ut
Dry bayou, ten miles further up the river,
ON n plantation largely owned and cult
waited 10y negroes.
Accident has thrown into the possession
Of the Herald correspondent the dispense
ton Of Siringcr 10 this lodge. II IL dated
Nicksburg, October -, 1875, and appoints
certain parties officers Of Dry bayou lodge,
and authorizes them 10 admit. initiate,
pass and raise hlasoDs Ia the sublime de-
gree oi Master Masons, and directing them
To obey all rules and cdicts cmanaiing
from the grand lodge, and not otherwise.
KILLINGS PROMPTLY AVENGED.
Henry Taylor, negro living on the
plantation Of MIR. Stoncill, killed his
uncle, Luke Taylor, in tho latter part II
last July, for acknowledged wrong doing
with Martha Taylor, llenry's wife. The
negroes were much inccnscd against
Bayou lodge, aud hut Tor the frmncS Of
MIR Stoncill would have lynchcd him.
Henry was shortly aitcrwar1 tried and ac-
quilted by q committing court.
Another negro, George Evans, n short
time after this, in ma alteration with Rem
Harris, also colorcd and Mason, Of the
Greenwood lodge, shot and killed him.
Gcorgc came into Greenwood badly
Il
white people aud was lodged in Jail. A
few nights aitcrwurl crowd oi 100 ne.
grpc-, composed exclusively OF the Maspns
oi the Dry Bayou, Sufih Mound and
Greenwood lodges, forced tho Jail, took
Gcoric Evans about half mile from the
building, hung him Ia a trcc and then rid.
died his body with bullets.
Arnociors DoumE MURDER.
A. the different crowdsdi-appcarrd That
night the members II the Dry Bayou lodge
called ont that therr WIS man in the
ncighhorhood who had killed man and
needed attention.
Ia the meantime notice was given "a
Henry Taylor and his wife that the Ma.
sons intended killing both III them ~ soon
~ protmctcd religious meeting, then In
progress ut Dry Bayou. should close
Henry quit work late In the afternoon u
saturday, August ~, went 10 his home,
aud neither lac nor his wife has since
been seen. After the disappearance oi
Henry aud his wife the ncrru Mnsons In.
duslriously circulated the rrpOrt that they
had fled the country, and this cltort was
not questioned until September ~ when
the body u man was found floating IN
lullahaichic river few miles below
Stonrlll'H plantation. The curse was had.
" d,rompusrd, about tile neck puir ~
Trousers WIS tied with suslVndcn, aud
these trousers aud suspcnlcrs wcp idcnii.
fed ~ belonging 10 Henry.
Culonrp MAsoNs NUusrrp.
4 cnmncr's jup WIS Ut once cmpan.
nclcd, and nltcrN close investigation, taxi.
ing four days, The jury piurncd yrplirl
ut murder against eleven parties. includ.
ing Dick Murrcll and ulhcr, Thcsc eleven
vur arrested, and upon preliminary
trial before two magistrates, WvW ~.
mundcd Ia jail without hJil, except Dick
Murwll, Who was discharged. Dick had
turned States evidence aud giving the
nantes Of % great number ol Others impli.
Gated In the double murder
The witness upon Whose testimony the
ycrlici was rndprd by the jury 81 in.
quest, nt the preliminary hearing hy thc
magistrates. refused. for a while, togi,c
amy evidence, saving that Il be- testified hc
would not grl humo alive. IL was only
when Dick MurWll. q brave and ivnrlcs-
fellow, told what be- knew, that the pcal.
ciimnt witness could hp induced 10 testify
against his brother Masous.
AmoopY OBLIGATION.
II had been fully proved bciorr the Jury
ot inquest that q part OF the obligation
taken 10y the fraternity WIS 10 aycngc the
wrong ~ injury done to any Mason, aud
| that IA una the tluty of tho oflicrrs al tho